In the morning, you will depart Hanoi and travel north to Ba Be National Park through Thai Nguyen Province along National Road 3. You’ll stop on the way to see a tea plantation and the beautiful mountain scenery. After 5 hours of driving, you will arrive at the park. Check into your hotel/homestay and have lunch. In the afternoon, you will ride bicycles to the Tay village of Coc Toc, with its beautiful stilt houses and friendly population of Tay people who make their living by fishing in the stunning Ba Be lakes as well as farming. Ride at your leisure to explore the beautiful surroundings. You will then ride to the 800km long Hua Ma Cave, where you will descend into a soaring cavern with thousands of stalactites and columns and hear about its own folk legend. Overnight in Ba Be National Park.

After a simple breakfast, you will travel on foot to Bo Lu Quay where you will board a boat trip around Ba Be Lake. You can relax on board and do some wildlife spotting. As you float down the Nang River, take in the scenery of the surrounding karsts decorated with patches of wild vegetation and inhabited by all sorts of interesting creatures. Keep a look out for the rainbow of butterflies that flit across the sky or listen to the gentle song of the many species of birds in the park. The boat will stop at Puong Cave where you can explore the stalactites and stalagmites of this unique cave, a result of the erosion of the river on the karst, and look out for the bat colony several thousand strong. In the afternoon, continue hiking to a H'mong ethnic village. Your guide will then take you through the vast mountain ranges and valleys to see the stilt houses and school of the Dzao people and along the trail to visit another H'mong ethnic village. Overnight in Ba Be National park.

After breakfast, travel uphill even further to the Northeast of Vietnam through some amazing and remote scenery of mountains and rivers. You’ll arrive at Ban Gioc town in TrungKhanh District - a poor and unique town located by the northern border between Vietnam and China. This town is well-known as the home of Ban Gioc Falls -- the most stunning waterfall in Asia, andlisted as one of the top 4 waterfalls on the planet! You can walk to and among the falls, taking a bamboo boat to approach even closer to the falls and shoot your best photos. The rest of the day, you’ll explore NguomNgao Cave, one of the most spectacular dry cave systems in Vietnam, 2,144m long, of which 900m was opened to the public, including three main doors: NguomNgao, Nguom Lom and Nguom Ban Ton. Overnight in Ban Gioc town.

Visiting such remote places is the payoff for a long day of transferring today from Ban Gioc town to MeoVac town tucked away in Ha Giang Province, the northern-most province in the country. The first 3 hours zigzag along a mountain road, with breaking views of the green Gam River on the right hand side. We’ll stop in Cao Bang City for a break with a visit to the town market. Enjoy a lunch and a coffee before we continue 5 more hours to MeoVac – a small town in Ha Giang province. Relax in town after a long journey. Overnight in Meo Vac.

If you’re in MeoVac on Sunday, you will have chance to see the MeoVac hill tribe market, the highlight of the region. Or if you are here on Tiger and Monkey day on the lunar calendar, you will visit Lung Phin Market, around 15km from the town. Markets are the place where local people from surrounding villages come to exchange their farm products, find lovers and meet relatives or friends. Girls and boys wear their best colorful clothes, and young girls will be all made up. Here you will meet hill tribe groups that you can’t find anywhere else in Vietnam. Different minority groups are distinguished from each other by their clothes, hats, how they decorate or tie their hair, earrings they wear etc. Just about everything is sold at the markets from clothes, corn wine, food, kitchen items, farm tools, cows, pigs, chicken etc. The markets are busiest from 7 – 10am. After the market, take a 1 hour drive to Ma Pi Leng Pass, 1500m above sea level and around 20 kilometers long. The pass offers the best and amazing views of mountain rocks, rivers and the snaking road winding around the mountains. We’ll stop for photo hunting and relaxing before continuing your trip to Dong Van town. Upon arrival, stroll around Dong Van town, visit the ancient part of the town, market and rice fields. Enjoy a local coffee at an ancient house and take time to relax and enjoy the slow-living style of the local people. Overnight in Dong Van.

After breakfast, you will make your way toward Ha Giang city. Stops along the way include the House of H’mong King, Pho Bang – a 300 years-old village of Chinese people with rammed-earth walls and Ying-Yang roof tiles, Quan Ba Heaven Gate, Fairy Blossom rising in a valley, and hill tribe villages along the way. Arriving in Ha Giang city, you will go just 2km more to the Tha Village of Tay minority people. You can take your time to explore the peaceful traditional village nestled between the rocky mountains. This village’s remote location preserves the local people’s lifestyle, traditions, and traditional houses. Overnight in Ha Giang.

After breakfast, visit Tien Thang and Me villages, two more very beautiful and peaceful villages of Tay minority people before heading to the Western portion of Northern Vietnam. Arrive in the remote area of Hoang Su Phi and check into your lodge, after which you’ll explore the nearby mountains traveling through tropical forests and rice terraces. You stop in a village of the Red Dao minority people for lunch. By necessity, they have sculpted the mountain and its rivers to grow rice, the main food of their meals. These painful adjustments enable them to live in the heights and, by the way, offer you unique landscapes to contemplate. The cooler climate and abundant fresh water also contribute to the growth of lush tea trees. After lunch, continue exploring through manioc (cassava) fields, bamboo forests, tea plantations, then to a village of Yao minority people, identified by their long tunics. Overnight in Hoang Su Phi.

Hoang Su Phi is also home to the best hill tribe market every Sunday. It’s a special day for hill tribe groups at nearby villages including Tay, Nung, Dzao, H’mong and La Chi...Let your time flow slowly this morning by strolling around the market, enjoying its atmosphere and learning about local culture. Later, you will take a 3 hour transfer along a “jumping” (but beautiful) road to Bac Ha Town in Lao Cai Province. Upon arrival, check into your hotel and walk to Hoang A Tuong Palace – former King of this mountain area in the early 20th century (built from 1914 – 1921), and then Ban Pho Village of the H’mong hill tribe group. Overnight in Bac Ha town.

Once again, if you miss the market in MeoVac or Hoang Su Phi and if you are in this area on Saturday or Sunday, you will be met by the biggest outdoor market with its colorful ethnic minority people including Can Cau market on Saturday (17km from Bac Ha town) or Bac Ha market in the town. Take an easy morning to exchange local culture, take photos or walk around to see local farm products and handicrafts. Lunch can be in the town on your own. In the afternoon, you will take 3 hour drive to Sapa town. Check into your hotel and overnight in Sapa.

After breakfast, you will start your excursion today with a walk through the town of Sapa and along a dirt trail through vegetable gardens and rice paddy terraces. The spectacular scenery of the Muong Hoa valley gradually appears within your eyesight. After meandering down the hillside, you will reach the river running through the bottom of the valley and walk along its banks. You eventually arrive in Y Linh Ho village of the Black H'mong minority. Keep hiking and you’ll reach Lao Chai village on the hillsides. Here, the view of the valley becomes more and more vast, extending and stretching to the horizon. Stop at Lao Chai village to visit a local house and have a picnic lunch. After lunch, follow the dirt path linking the village with Ta Van village, the only one in the valley inhabited by the Giay minority. From Ta Van, you will have a transfer by car up the hill back to Sapa for overnight.

After breakfast, more waterfalls await! First stop is Silver Waterfall before we continue to the Fanxipan Cable car. You’ll board a cable car to visit Fanxipan - the highest peak in Indochina. Fanxipan cable car is the world’s longest three-rope cable car system, extending from the northern Lao Cai Province’s Sapa Town to Fansipan peak. Return to Sapa town for lunch on your own expense. Your afternoon is free at your leisure—enjoy a foot massage or just relax around town or at your hotel. Overnight in Sapa.

After breakfast, you will be free in Sapa town for shopping or relaxing until it is time to return to Hanoi, via a 5 hour drive along the highway. Transfer directly to the airport for your departure flight or transfer to downtown to check into your hotel.